Classics and Ancient History at Newcastle

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Classics and Ancient History at Newcastle

Classics and Ancient History at Newcastle University - part of the School of History, Classics & Archaeology. Explore the ancient world with us!

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25/02/2026

Exploring Classical & Historical Northumbria: Sunday 1st March 2026 (all day): Carlisle Town, Museum, Castle and Cathedral.

Depart 9.07, return 19.29 (earlier return (and later departure!) possible if needed) Cost: c.£8.10-£13.30 for travel (see below) plus any refreshments/lunch; free entry to castle and museum.

Meet preferably by 8.50 at Newcastle Central station, inside on the main concourse by the entry to W.H. Smith.

See blog post from 2020 trip: https://clahnewcastle.wordpress.com/2020/02/23/9776/

• Carlisle: attractive border town, with a varied and fascinating history — including a Bishop immortalised by Shakespeare, and a tale of state-owned pubs;
• extensive Norman Castle which remained in active use for 900 years; many colourful incidents!
• site of significant Roman fort: Tullie House museum has exciting current exhibitions on Gladiators of Britain - Tullie - Museum & Art Gallery and the ongoing excavations: Uncovering Roman Carlisle: Where Worlds Met - Tullie - Museum & Art Gallery.

Full details and schedule from [email protected]: see separate e-mail.

Plan is to travel out by the 9.07 Northern rail train to Carlisle and return by the (longer but much cheaper!) 685 bus back. Other travel combinations possible.

Everyone welcome, including friends from outside School (or university!). You can just turn up on the day, but please do e-mail me in advance if you are definitely interested.

06/02/2026

Saturday 7th February: Seaton Delaval Hall and (weather permitting!) St Mary's Island (afternoon)
Our first 2026 outing: to the coast for two local highlights:

• Sir John Vanburgh's neo-classical masterpiece Seaton Delaval Hall, and the colourful history of the Delaval family!
• Scenic St. Mary's Island reached by tidal causeway: (if we're lucky) some basking seals!

Essentials: Meet Haymarket Bus station stand V 11.55 a.m. return by c.18.00.

Cost: entry to Hall free; bus fare £3 all-day (21-and-under), £6.80 over 21. Otherwise, you'll just need money for any refreshments.

See e-mail from Dr S. Phillippo for fuller details.

Friends/visitors from outside the School (or indeed university) also welcome!

21/11/2025

Exploring Classical/Historical Northumberland:

Sunday 23rd Nov: Tynemouth Priory and Castle
Tynemouth, Newcastle's picturesque Victorian seaside resort:

• impressive cliff-top castle & priory: unique combination of ecclesiastical ruins, Norman fortifications and WWI & II military installations
• a rich history from early Saxon times, including medieval and Civil War sieges, and skulduggery with the body of a Scottish king!

Essentials: meet Haymarket *Metro* station by the ticket machines, preferably by 12.15 (aiming for 12.26 Metro); return to Newcastle c. 5 p.m..

Cost: £3 for TNE Day Saver ticket if you're 21 or under; otherwise £6.70 Metro all-zone DaySaver ticket. Entry to Tynemouth Castle & Priory free.
Otherwise, you'll just need money for any refreshments.

See e-mail from Dr S. Phillippo for fuller details.

Friends/visitors from outside the School (or indeed university) also welcome!

22/10/2025

Exploring Classical/Historical Northumbria:
Saturday 25th October: Hadrian's Wall trip 1: Walltown Crags and Thirlwall Castle (all day, returning late afternoon/early evening)

Depart 9.35, return c. 17.30. Meet Eldon Square bus station stand A ideally by *9.25* for 685 bus.

Cost: £3 for 21 & under bus fares, £7.50 for over 21, plus any refreshments.

• An introduction to the Wall: a circular walk along the highest and one of the most dramatic stretches of the Wall at Walltown Crags
• Walk from Walltown to Greenhead village via ruins of Thirlwall Castle (with its legends of buried treasure and a magical dwarf!) and past site of the Roman fort of Carvoran/Magnis.

Read about our (slightly adventurous!) 2015 Walltown outing here:
https://clahnewcastle.wordpress.com/2015/11/16/walltown-crags-trip-hadrians-wall-seven-things-we-learnt/

COME EQUIPPED with stout footwear and a windproof/waterproof coat!
Note: some fairly strenuous walking included.

Bring your own lunch, or/and money for refreshments.

Everyone welcome, including friends from other Schools. Contact [email protected]; see her e-mail for full details.

02/10/2025

Exploring Classical and Historical Northumbria trips this year🌳

We shall again this academic year be running a series of (optional and extra-curricular) trips exploring Newcastle and the surrounding area: often asking "What's Classical about Newcastle and Northumbria?" but also exploring the area's considerable and colourful post- (and occasionally pre-) classical history.

This year's programme will include star attraction Hadrian's Wall, Corbridge, Tynemouth and Seaton Delaval Hall, and next semester Belsay Hall, Warkworth and hopefully Dunstanburgh Castles, Cragside and several others. Programme for term 1:

1. Sunday 5th Oct afternoon: Corbridge and Corstopitum Roman town
Details to follow, but briefly: depart Haymarket Metro station c. 12.30 p.m., return c. 5.30 p.m.
• Corstopitum fort/town: extensive remains and a highly commended museum;
• Corbridge village: one of the Tyne valley's most attractive (also excellent tea shops and historic pubs — one in a 14th C 'Pele Tower' which we shall visit!)

2. Saturday 12th Oct. (afternoon): Causey Arch and the Tanfield railway

3. Saturday 25th Oct. (all day): Hadrian's Wall: Walltown and Thirlwall Castle

4. Saturday 8th Nov. (late morning - afternoon): Seaton Delaval Hall and (tides permitting!) St. Mary's Island

5. Sunday 23rd Nov. (provisional) Jarrow

6. Sunday 7th Dec. Hexham and Hexham Abbey

Details are circulated by e-mail, on the website and via social media as the term goes along. Everyone is welcome including friends from other schools or even outside the university.

For a few glimpses of what the trips are like, you can have a look at entries on the Polaris blog site: https://clahnewcastle.wordpress.com.

22/09/2025

Sherlock Holmes, Moriarty and the classics.

On Wednesday 24th September, Dr S. Phillippo will be giving a short talk for anyone interested, from 5.30-6 pm (in Armstrong 2.49) on some connections between the classics and 'golden age' detective fiction!

This precedes a trip to Northern Stage at 7.30 for the play "Sherlock Holmes: the hunt for Moriarty". You can come to the talk without going to the play! But there may still be a couple of subsidised student tickets available from Dr Phillippo.

Student tickets are also available from Northern Stage (though the performance is selling out fast!) for £11.

22/05/2025

Exploring Classical & Historical Northumbria🌳

Saturday 24th May: Jedburgh- Abbey, Castle Jail and Mary Queen of Scots House 🏰 A trip over the border to Scotland, to the historic town of Jedburgh.

Depart: 8.25 a.m., return 16.51.
Meet: Eldon Square bus station Stand H, preferably by 8.20 a.m.
Cost: entry to all sites free; bus fare: max. £13 (2 x adult singles @ £6.50; possibly £10 for 21-and-under). Otherwise money for lunch/refreshments, or bring your own.

-Scenic bus ride over the Carter Bar border summit.
-Jedburgh Abbey: site of a royal wedding and an ominous ghostly apparition in 1285...
-Jedburgh Castle Jail Museum: allegedly haunted(!) prison built in 1820 with an excellent museum.
-Mary Queen of Scots house: 16th-century house where the ill-fated Queen stayed after a near-fatal illness.

Arrive Jedburgh 10.02, depart 15.13.

Contact [email protected] for further details!

15/05/2025

Exploring Classical & Historical Northumbria: Saturday 17th May: Warkworth castle and medieval town🏰

Why not take a healthy break from revision and learn about history and classical connections in the open air!

-Depart c. 10.05, return c. 17.00
-Meet Haymarket Bus station (outside M&S) Stand Q, ideally by 10 a.m.
-Cost: £2 for 21-and-under bus fare (£5 for over 21s). Entrance to the castle is free; otherwise, just bring money for lunch/refreshments.

A visit to the impressive medieval Percy fortress in the scenic town of Warkworth — with classical literary connections!
• Picturesque town dominated by showpiece medieval castle, home to a number of key players in English history, notably the Percy family (the original 'kings in the north').
• Wars of the Roses, the English Civil War and several wars with Scotland(!) feature among many historical connections.
• Castle features in Shakespeare's *Henry IV* plays, with scenes inspired by classical writers Plutarch and Virgil!

15.31 bus back from Warkworth, getting to Haymarket at 17.03. Buses leave at 31 minutes past each hour, though, so you can catch an earlier or later bus back if you like.

Friends from outside the School are also welcome! Contact [email protected] for details (or see her e-mail about the trip).

09/05/2025

Exploring Classical and Historical Northumbria 🌳

We have three final trips planned for this term: a healthy break from revision is always a good idea! Details to follow (see e-Mails from Dr S. Phillippo')

1. Sunday May 11th: Hadrian's Wall: Housesteads and Chesters

2. Saturday 17th May: Warkworth Castle and (hopefully) Hermitage

3. Saturday 24th May: across the Scottish border to Jedburgh : Abbey and Castle Museum

13/03/2025

Our next Exploring Classical/Historical Northumberland trip is this coming this Saturday 15th of March, to Cragside house and grounds🌷

Meet 9.15 at Haymarket bus station Stand Q (bus departs 9.23); return to Newcastle around 4.15 p.m..

Cost: £2/£5 for bus fare (21 & under/over 21!). Entry to Cragside House, grounds & gardens free.

• Inventor and industrialist Lord Armstrong's picturesque and technologically ahead-of-its time neo-Tudor/Gothic house with lavish interiors set in spectacular landscaped grounds;
• the first house ever to be powered by hydro-electricity, with many hydraulic power inventions;
• extensive art and furnishing collections including classically-inspired windows!

Contact [email protected] for further details!

06/03/2025

Our next Exploring Classical/Historical Northumberland trip is this coming Sunday, 9th March, to Belsay Hall, gardens & castle🌲

Meet 12.15 at Jesmond Metro station (aiming for 12.20 departure); return to Newcastle around 4.35/40 p.m.

Cost: £6 for community minibus travel.
Entry to Belsay Hall, gardens & castle free.

*Spaces are limited to 10, so please let me know in advance if you are planning to come.*

• Belsay Hall, built early 19th C in Greek revival style by classical enthusiast Sir Charles Monck;
• dramatic and unique quarry gardens, based on the famous Quarries at Syracuse;
• ruined 14th C medieval castle with colourful history (including the high-risk kidnap of a medieval Bishop of Durham!)

Contact [email protected] for further details.

Address

Newcastle University
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE17RU

Telephone

+441912087844

Website

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/hca/

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